Should I Install an Attic Fan?
Effectively cooling the home without spending excessive amounts of money proves difficult for many homeowners during the summer months. An attic fan pulls outdoor air inside while pushing out the hottest air in the top level of the home. This works especially well in the evening and night hours, when outdoor temperatures often fall below the temperature inside buildings. Attic fans and whole-house fans differ, however, and many homeowners decide to install a whole-house fan after weighing the costs and benefits. Does this Spark an idea?
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Attic Fans
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Attic fans cool only the attic, pulling air in from outside through the attic vents. This minimizes their impact on both indoor temperatures and savings. Maximize their effect by positioning them above a hallway to draw as much air as possible from all rooms and maximize airflow through the home. One benefit of attic fans is their ability to reduce the work of the air-conditioning unit on hot days when these units would otherwise run excessively. In this way, the homeowner may realize savings in the long term.
Whole-House Fans
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Whole-house fans provide better energy savings by pulling more air through windows on the attic level and redistributing it throughout the home. Homeowners often find they can comfortably leave the air conditioner off on all but the hottest and most humid of days during the summer when running a whole-house fan.
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Size
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An attic fan with an actual fan size of 24 inches has an exhaust rating of 5,400 cubic feet per minute (CFM). This means it cools a room with a total volume of 5,400 cubic feet. Figure the cubic feet in a room by multiplying the length times the width times the height. This provides you with an accurate measurement of the fan size needed. For whole-house fans, choose a product with at least two-thirds the CFM of the entire home. For example, in a 1,200-square-foot home with an 8-foot ceiling throughout, buy a whole-house fan with at least 6,400 CFM for best results.
Considerations
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Attic fans and whole-house fans perform best in areas with large differences in day and night temperatures. Running either type of fan only part of the time minimizes any energy savings; commit to using it in place of air conditioning to see maximum benefits in this area. Homes with attic or whole-house fans typically need to be sealed off during the winter to prevent significant heat loss. This must be done either by the homeowner, requiring additional work on an annual basis, or by a hired professional, requiring an additional expenditure every year.
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